A feisty and lively encounter will take place as the US national team and Costa Rica meet at Rentschler Field at 8pm ET tonight.

The Gold Cup Group C finale will have an extra edge to it, despite both teams already through to the quarterfinals. But more on that shortly.

With a huge crowd expected in Hartford, the outcome of tonight’s clash will determine which nation faces the easier route to the last four, as the Group C runner-up will have a tough test against Honduras in the quarters.

And they may still be harboring grudges about that defeat when kick off rolls around this evening. Expect some hefty challenges from both sides as these CONCACAF powerhouses lock horns in Hartford. Currently the USA sit top of the Hexagonal for World Cup qualifying but Costa Rica are in second place and just two points behind the Yanks. This is about more than Gold Cup standings. Trust me.

Over the years there hasn’t been much to separate the nations, who are dead even at 12-12-6. However the Nats are undefeated against Costa Rica (5-0-1) in the Gold Cup. And after their recent rich-vein of form the USA can win their eighth straight match.

Jurgen Klinsmann is likely to put out a full-strength team to try and secure the best possible passage through to the Gold Cup final, while Costa Rica have several players MLS fans will know well, such as Alvaro Saborio, Rodney Wallace, Jairo Arrieta and Roy Miller. Going forward Costa Rica have struggled thus far in the Gold Cup, while the US are quite the opposite as they lead the way with 10 goals scored in their two opening games. Red-hot forward Chris Wondolowski has five of them.

What they’re saying

Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann on Costa Rica: “Tomorrow we’ll [put out] our best lineup because we want to win this game. Absolutely. We want to send out a signal. We want to see where we’re at right now. We all understand that the previous games we were expected to win and also expected to put some goals in. We know that this is now the first real test for us with this group. We are very well aware of the challenge Costa Rica pose. It’s one of the toughest opponents in CONCACAF.”

US striker Chris Wondolowski on his hot streak: “Yeah, definitely. I think I’m very confident in my play and I think just even getting the goals is so huge. I’m feeling more confident in my passing and in my touch and things like that where it’s really helping me, and it’s really raising my level.”

Costa Rica head coach Jorge Luis Pinto on the US: “We have to know how to control the game. We know they have a lot of important players in the attack. Donovan is raising his game, Corona sees the field and opens it well, Beckerman is someone who provides quite a bit and [Diskerud], too. At the same time, we have to make the U.S. think about us a bit, too.”

Pinto on the snowy defeat in March: “I’ve said 10,000 times that no we shouldn’t have [played that game in those conditions]. It was absurd. After the game, everyone from federations and from soccer around the world said that didn’t make any sense. No one in their right mind would have allowed a match like that to be played.”

I can see a really entertaining game taking place up in Connecticut tonight, both teams have nothing to lose and want to send out a message ahead of the final few games of World Cup qualifying. Klinsmann will want another offensive outburst but the U.S. must sharpen things up at the back because Costa Rica have some real stars like Saborio who can change a game in an instance. I’m going for a U.S. win, but only just. A high scoring draw is also in the cards but I think the home crowd will roar the USMNT onto yet another victory.

“Arsenal, as a team, look in good shape and whilst we have a lot of confidence, given their form too, it isn’t a good time to play them.

“At times, Arsenal have struggled with consistency, and it has cost them, but you sense this could be their year. It’s important for us to give ourselves an opportunity to get something out of the game, we need to stay in the match and frustrate them.”

This week’s match with Arsenal kicks off a four-week run that goes Arsenal, Saints, Leicester, Liverpool, Chelsea.

Nicolas Loderio is getting set to play in the MLS Cup finals, something that only came to pass with a team visit to the United States, and the assistance of Luis Suarez.

According to Seattle Sounders GM Garth Lagerwey, he spoke with Lodeiro often in his attempts to bring the 27-year-old from Boca Juniors to Major League Soccer. The moment that swayed him was a trip to the US. A business trip.

With Uruguay competing in the Copa America Centenario, it allowed the two to speak more frequently, but when the Uruguayan became frustrated with his own handle of the native language, a friend stepped in to help. He asked national teammate Suarez to help translate, and thus the transfer came to pass.

“You don’t have body language, it’s harder than it is straight to the face and so he just got frustrated that he couldn’t understand everything that I’m saying,” Lagerwey told MLSSoccer.com’s radio show. “And so he says, ‘Hold on, speak to my friend,’ and I said, ‘OK,’ and I have no idea what’s happening. And Luis Suarez gets on and says, ‘Hi, this is Luis Suarez, how are you?’ And I’m like, ‘Morning, Mr. Suarez, how are you?’ And he was our translator.”

Lodiero has been a revelation for the Sounders since joining in the summer. A creative force all season, the Uruguayan has scored four goals in five playoff matches, bursting onto the national scene on the biggest stage.

“It was just funny. Nico and I, we talked fairly regularly during the process, in part because it took four months for the thing to play out,” “And he was in the US for the Copa America with Uruguay, obviously, and in hindsight that ended up being a big deciding factor for him, because he brought his wife and his little son and they got to see America and I think liked it and developed a comfort level with it. And I think that’s what ultimately pushed them to make the leap, but I was talking and Nico’s English is actually pretty, pretty good, but he isn’t always so comfortable on the phone.”

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Zinedine Zidane is one match away from coaching Real Madrid to a new unbeaten record.

When Zidane replaced Rafa Benitez midway through last season, the inexperienced former midfield standout got off to an auspicious start with a 5-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna.

Eleven months and one Champions League title later, Madrid faces Deportivo again at home on Saturday with the chance of surpassing its longest unbeaten run since the club was founded in 1902.

On Wednesday, Madrid equaled a club record of 34 games without a loss set in 1989 under coach Leo Beenhakker when it drew 2-2 with Borussia Dortmund.

“It’s important to continue to make history and continue our good run,” Zidane said after the match. “I don’t think it’s very important for me to leave my mark. What interests me the most is to continue with this great run that we’re on.”

Last season, when Real Madrid president Florentino Perez tapped Zidane to take over a struggling team, the decision smelled of desperation.

A fan favorite from his playing days as part of Madrid’s “galaticos” bunch, Zidane was promoted from coaching the reserve team to take over a side that was lurching from one embarrassing episode to the next.

Madrid’s 2015-16 campaign had started with Perez flubbing his play to sign away Manchester United goalie David De Gea. The team was then disqualified from the Copa de Rey for fielding an illegible player, and it endured a 4-0 defeat from Barcelona at home as it failed to click with Benitez.

Perez needed to make an impact move. But instead of searching for a veteran manager, he charged the unproven Zidane with turning around Madrid’s group of talented underachievers.

At first, the team remained erratic, and even looked set to bow out of the Champions League after a shocking 2-0 loss at German side Wolfsburg.

But that defeat on April 6 proved to be a catalyst. The team hasn’t lost since, recovering to claim its 11th European Cup and almost nip Barcelona for the Spanish league crown, before roaring out to lead la Liga this season.

Zidane, whose top-tier coaching experience had been limited to his stint as an assistant under Carlo Ancelotti, has now reached the half-century mark as head manager. During that 50-match period, he has overseen 37 wins, 11 draws and only two losses. That other loss came at Atletico Madrid in February.

“The players have to be congratulated. They’re the ones out on the pitch, it’s them who run, fight and dig in,” Zidane said. “We also have to thank the fans, who always get behind the team and support us. They’ve got to take some credit for what the team is achieving”.

Gifted with world-class stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, Zidane focused on getting more from Madrid’s supporting cast. He put a new emphasis on defense in his midfield by favoring Mateo Kovacic and Casemiro over flashier playmakers James Rodriguez and Francisco “Isco” Alarcon, and he has helped the little-known Lucas Vazquez blossom into an important piece of its attack.

“(Zidane) has gotten us to work hard and for things to go well for us, and that is paying off with this run of 34 unbeaten games,” defender Dani Carvajal said. “Everyone on the team has words of praise for him.”

Whereas the draw with Dortmund was disappointing because it cost Madrid a first-place finish in its Champions League group, its 1-1 stalemate earned last weekend at Barcelona tasted of victory. The “clasico” draw kept Madrid six points clear of Barcelona at the top of the Spanish table.

After it plays Deportivo, Madrid heads to Japan for the Club World Cup.

If Zidane sets the new club mark, his next goal would be the milestone held by Barcelona under counterpart Luis Enrique, whose 39-game unbeaten run was ended by Madrid last April.